Adjusting means for ordnance sights and other instruments



y 35- r B. P. JOYCE 2,006,896

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR ORDNANCE SIGHTS AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS Original Filed Dec. 4, 1954 I1ra' l T1133- 2 fl- I I n Ill x w gg y MMM I i 9 /0 ag 5A 2/ 1 50 Patented July 2,1935 I f ADJUS I IN GM EANS roitonnniiivonjs diifiirs'; AnnpTnEnInsfrn MEN'rs/g' Bryan Pope Joyce, East Orange; N. J.,- assignor I to American Armament .Corporation; 'York, N..Y.,-Lawcorporatin ofNewXork New I originalapplication December 4, 934, Serial'Nm 755,984; Divided and this application March 13, 1935,seri 1No.10,9se I, I g

' 7 Claims. (01. 74-425) mentwhen firing the gunfmortarorthe like, on

which-the sight'is used: Whenemployed on instruments other than ordnance sightsythe adjusting means'will also'be proof against accidentally moving out of adjustment due"to jars,

vibration, etc.

'" Withthe foregoing in viewythe invention resides in the novel subject matterhereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference'to the accompanying draw;

Figx'l is avertical transverse sectional view through an ordnance sight of the construction shown in the parent application above mentioned, said sight embodying the improved adjusting means.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. v I

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view showing a modification.

A sight is shown provided with a dove-tail 5 for use in mounting it, said dove-tail being joined to one end wall of a short cylindrical casing 6 whose other end wall I is rotatably mounted for turning about the casing axis, said wall I being provided with a worm-wheel 8 within the casing 6 meshing with a worm 9 on an adjusting shaft I0 used to adjust the sight for elevation. The casing end wall 1 supports a second short cylindrical casing II connected therewith in the present disclosure by a downwardly projecting hub I2 secured by-a pin I3 in a boss I4 on said end wall I. A top wall I5 01' the casing II is rotatable and carries a sighting device I6 and a leveling device H. A shaft I8 is secured to the top wall I5 and passes rotatably through the hub I2 and through abearing lug I9 on the end wall I, said shaft I8 having a worm wheel 8 in the casing II meshing with a worm 9* on an adjusting shaft III used to set the sight for traverse.

The construction so far briefly explained is claimed in the parent application above men- The adjusting-shaft ingjS, extends outwardly through bearing-bosses 2'0-and-2I carried'by' said casing, said shaft being provided with anoperatingknob- 22'at the exterior-of the boss'. "The inner end 23 of this knob abuts-the outer end- 24 of the'boss 2B andsaid abutting ends constitute frictional braking surfaces forholdin'g' the shaft III in'ad'justed position? The*b'os's"2I=is internally enlarged 'at its outer end, pi 'ovidinga recess 25 around the shaft I0 associatedwith theme:

andfacestovvard the latter'; A non-torsional spring device which maybe of the type shown in Fig. 2 or of' the for'm' shown in Fig. 4, surrounds the shaft I0 within the'recess 25, thrusts in one direction on the shoulder 26 and in the other direction on the shoulder 28. This non-torsional spring device exerts an endwise pressure on the shaft Iii holding the frictional braking surfaces 23v and 24 in contact with each other, to hold said shaft I0 after it has been rotated for elevational adjustment. The non-torsional characteristic of the spring device insures that it shall not be torsionally tensioned by rotation of the shaft ID, for it has been found that any spring device which is so tensioned. by rotation of the shaft,- springs back to its original position when the gun or mortar is fired, causing slight rotation of the adjusting shaft and moving the sight out of ad.- justment.

In Fig. 2, the non-torsional spring device 'consists of two annular anti-friction bearings 29- and 30 surrounding the'shaft I9 and abutting the means shown in Fig. 2 or may be, of the form shown in Fig. 4.

It will be seen fromtheabove, that a very simple, compact and durable construction has been provided which will well withstand the shocks 0! firing, without either being injured or being jarred out of adjustment. It will also be clear that while the invention is disclosed in connection with a sight, it is not restricted to this particular instrument. Then too, while certain details of construction have been illustrated, it will be understood thatvariations may be made within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: s

1. In an instrument having a rotatable adjusting shaft; end facing frictional braking surfaces for said shaft carried one by the shaft and the other by a non-rotatable part of the instrument, and a non-torsional spring .device exerting an end thrust on said shaft to hold said frictional braking surfaces in contact.

2. In an adjusting means for an instrument having a casing; a. rotatable member having a worm wheel within said casing, a worm in said casing meshing with said worm wheel, a shaft carrying said worm, said casing being provided with bearing bosses through which the ends of the shaft extend, a knob on one end of said shaft abutting the outer end of one of said bosses, the otherof said bosses being internally enlarged at its outer end to provide a recess around said shaft, a collar secured on said shaft and closing .the outer end of said recess and a non-torsional spring device confined in said recess and thrustin opposite directions against said collar and the inner; end wall of said recess to frictionally hold said knob against the outer end of said one and prevent accidental rotation of the knob, shaft and worm. I

3.' In an adjusting means for an instrument having a body; an adjusting shaft rotatable in said body, said body and shaft having frictional shaft-holding surfaces abutting in a plane transverse to the shaft, said body having a thrust shoulder facing in the same direction as the friction surface of said shaft, said shaft being provided with a thrust shoulder spaced longitudinally of the shaft from the aforesaid thrust shoulder and facing the latter, and a non-torsional spring device surrounding said shaft and forcing in opposite directions on said thrust shoulders, whereby said spring devices will hold said frictional shaft-holding surfaces in contact and will not be torsionally tensioned when said shaft is rotated. V

4. In an adjusting means for an instrument having a body; an adjusting shaft rotatable in said .p. thrust shoulder spaced longitudinally of the shaft from the aforesaid thrust shoulder and facing the latter, anti-friction bearings surrounding said shaft and abutting said thrust shoulders respectively, and a compression spring surrounding said shaft, said spring being interposed between and abutting said anti-friction bearings, whereby said spring will hold said frictional shaft-holding surfaces in contact and will not be torsionally tensioned when said shaft is rotated.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1; said nontorsional spring device consisting of a series of cupped resilient washers.

6. A structure asspecified in claim 3; said nontorsional spring device consisting of a series of cupped resilient washers.

'7. .A structure as specified in claim 1;saidnontorsional spring device comprising a coiled compression spring and at least one annular antifriction bearing abutting an end of said spring.

BRYAN POPE JOYCE. 

